Aim-recording apparatus.



J. B. BOLITHO.

AIM RECORDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1908 Patented June 29, 1909. ZSHEETS-SHEET 1'.

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AIM RECORDING APPARATUS".

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1908,

Patented June 29, 1909,

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Q vvtmaooeo y 4 .5% jf UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. BOLITHO, OF ROOKBEARE HOUSE, NEAR EXETER, ENGLAND.

Anti-RECORDING- APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BRUCE BoLrrHo, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Rockbeare House, near Exeter, Devonshire, England, gentleman, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aim- Recording Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to target ractice and aim recording apparatus -cr t 1e like where no projectile is employed.

Heretofore various apparatus and devices have been em loyed for indicating or'recording the aim o a gun or rifle or simulated firearm, either upon the target at which the gun is aimed or (in some cases) upon a sub-target; but such apparatus have usually been complex and ex ensive and in the case of the apparatus W ich have been designed for fol-- lowing and indicating the aim of a rifle and recording the same on a sub-target, such apparatus has the further drawback that the rifle is so mounted, connected and arranged in the apparatus that the marksman has not the same freedom -in using the rifle as he would have in the ordinary way with a rifle apart from any apparatus.

Now my invention is designed to provide not only a very simple and inexpenslve target practice and aim recording means or the like where no projectile is employed .but also has the further object that it enables the marksman or person using the same to have perfect freedom or practically perfect free om in handling and aiming the rifle or gun or simulated fire-arm.

My invention comprises broadly; a small holder for holdingthe miniature target or socalled sub-target on which the aim is to be recorded; a small apparatus or simple means for pricking or otherwise marking said target at the moment of ulling the trigger, said apparatus or means eing attached to the stock or side of the gun toward the butt end thereof, and in such position as not to interfere with theholdin of the rifle in aiming; bearings or brackets Taterally extending from the side of the gun; and a gyratory arm or rod mounted in each of the said bearings in suchwise as to be adapted to have a universal turning movement in said bearings. One of the said gyratory arms or rods carries the aforesaid sub-tar et holder and is flexibly jointed to one en of another or forward gyratory arm or rod. This last named rod is or may be connected to a long rod or tube,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 26, 1908.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Serial No. 454,868.

which in turn is connected to the target proper at which the gun is to be aimed, and a connection is provided between the trigger and the sub-target marking apparatus to cause the latter to mark the sub-target at the moment when the trigger is pulled. The said long arm or connection may be a light metal rod (tubular or otherwise) and same may be attached at or toward the target end by a universal joint or other suitable attachment; and if desired this rod ma be arranged to slide through a universa joint in order that there may be greater freedom of movement when the gun is aimed at the target, the. gyratory movement of the muzzle of the gun in the act of aimingor of bringin the gun into position to aim at the require( part of the. targetcauses a corresponding gyratory movement of the gyratory end of the said long wire or connection from the target to the gun, and this last-named gyratory movement is imparted to the aforesaid gyratory arm or rod which latter carries the sub-target as aforesaid and to which latter in turn corresponding gyratory movement is imparted, and thereby the sub-target is gyrated or moved with res ect to the marker or indicating device locate close up to same, and the relative position of the marker and sub-target will correspondwith the relative position of the gun with respect to the target pro er so that at the moment the trigger is pul ed an exact indication of the aim of the gun is thereby given and recorded on the subtarget. The respective g ratory movements im arted to .(1) the muzz e of the gun (2) the ends of the gyratory arms or rods and (3) to the sub-target holder, will all correspond and synchronize but nevertheless may vary in relative extent of movement as required.

For the sake of example I will now describe my invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings as carried into practice with an ordinary service rifle.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an army rifle of the present pattern showing my invention aprpliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1. ig. 3 1s a local plan view on an enlarged scale of the gyratory arm on which is carried the device for holding the small targets which are to be marked when the trigger is pulled and also showing on a similar enlarged scale the means for pricking or marking the target in said holder. Fig. 4

is a view in elevation of the small targetholder and target therein which is marked as aforesaid when the trigger is pulled. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view (on an enlarged scale) of the flexible spring joint employed between the ends of the gyratory rods.

A is the gyratory arm or rod carrying the sub-target holder B at one end and connected at the other end A to the end 0 of an intermediate gyratory rod 0 which latter at. its other end C is jointed at D (by a yieldable or flexible joint such as hereinafter described) to the long rod or connection D (which may advantageously be a small tube) leading from the gun to, or near, or toward, the target proper Z. The gyratory arm A may be mounted in a ball and socket bearing or any equivalent or suitable joint or bearing such for example as the gimbal joint a, (as

illustrated) in the bracket E fixed to and carried by the stock of the un Y; a sectional view on an enlarged sca e of such gimbal joint being shown in detail in Fig. 3 in which a is the spherical ball fixed on the rod- A and pivoted in the concave socket or bearing or support e which latter is Ipdivoted in turn (as a gimbal) in the bracket so that the rod A can turn in any direction or this hearing or point A may advantageously be of the wellknown gimbal type. The end A of the rod A is shown in said Fig. 3 as tubular or is formed with a recess into which is introduced the rounded end O on the end C of the gyratory arm or rod 0 which latter toward the other end 0 is mounted in a ball and socket joint 0 (or by means of a gimbal joint) in a racket F in a similar, manner to that described with'reference to the gyratory rod A and the bracket E.

G is an intermediate bracket provided with an eye or opening through which the rod or arm C passes the size of said eye or opening in this bracket G being such as to keep the gyratory movements of the arms or rods O and A within thedesired limits.

The end of the long rod or connection D is attached at the fixed point (at or near the target) in any suitable manner as for example by means of a ball and socket--or by means of a gimbaljoint (such as a) in the fixed bracket or if desired, this long rod or connection D may be arranged to slide through the joint (or point of attachment) at H in order to permit greater freedom of movement of the gun.

The various parts A O and D may advantageously be made tubular and the whole of the parts of my apparatus or as many as possible may advantageously be made of alumini um on account of its lightness. The joint D1 may advantageously consist of a disk (1 on the tubular end of the connection D and a disk (1 on the tubular end O of the arm or rod C and a spring d located within and fixed to said tubular ends'thus forming a yielding joint between the said parts as illustrated in Fig. 5.

On the side of the rifle Y close to the end of the gyratory arm A carrying the miniature target holder B I arrange a target pricking apparatus or means for indicating on the small target which is to be marked the aim of the rifle such pricking apparatus comprising a forwardly extending needle or pointer I adjustably fixed on the arm J carried on the rod or slide K which latter is adapted to slide in the bearing ,or guide L fixed to the side of the rifle and the rear end K of this rod or slide where it emerges from the guide L is interposed in the path of travel of the cc cking-piece X or extension provided on the cockingiece X (see Fig. 3) of the rifle Y this rod or side K being normally kept pulled back rearwardly into its rearmost position by the spring M so that in this normal position the neeedle ormarker I is held clear of the target holder B and miniature target therein with the rear end K of the rod or slide K in the path of travel of the cocking-piece X or attachment on the cooking piece as aforesaid. The cocking-piece hav ng been drawn back the gun aimed and the trigger pulled thereupon the cocking-piece strikes the end K of the slide K and drives'the needle or marker I against the miniature target N in the target holder B and marks said target N and is then instantly withdrawn by the action of the spring M.

The operation is as follows :The gun having been cockedis raised to the shoulder and aim taken at the target proper Z and as the muzzle of the rifle is gyrated in taking aim it will readily be seen that this will result in the connection D imparting gyratory motion to the rod or arm which in turn imparts gyratory motion to the arm or rod A and thereby gyratory motion is imparted to the target holder B corresponding (either equal or increased or diminished as desired) to the gyratory motion of muzzle'of the rifle and thus it at the moment of ulling the trigger the rifle is actually and tru y aimed at the bulls-e ye at said moment the target holder B willhave brought the bulls-eye on the miniature target N exactly op osite the needle or marker I and consequentl y the release of the hammer by pulling the trigger at this moment will cause the miniature target N to be marked on the bulls-eye while if the aim of the rifle happens to be at any other part of the target proper then the corres onding part of the miniature target will be rought opposite the marker and marked at such point when the trigger is pulled.

Various modifications may obviously be employed in carrying out my invention as for example :The gyratory rod A and bearing E might be dispensed with and the rod 0 lengthened and terminating in a point (adapted to serve as a marker or pricker) at about the osition of the rearmost end of the rod A whi e in such case the target holder B would be mounted on the bracket J in place of the pricker or marker I. If desired a lens or lenses might be fixed on the gun so that, in sighting or aiming the gun the target proper would be viewed through such lens or lenses and thus made to appear at a greater distance than the actual distance. A stand may advantageously be provided for the rifle or gun to rest in when out of use in order to prevent the apparatus being strained by the rifle being pointed or turned too far off the target when out of use.

1 am aware that in the specification of patents of prior date it has been proposed to employ a string or cord extending from the gun to the target in conjunction with means for recording the aim on a miniature target carried on the gun and I neither use nor claim such string or cord.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what Iclaim is gyratory rods supported in said brackets in suchwise as to permit the same to gyrate at each end; a connection flexibly jointed to one of said rods and extending to the target; a miniature target holder carried by one of said gyratory rods; and a marking device so mounted on the gun stock as to be adapted to be impelled against the said miniature target when the trigger is pulled, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a gun, of a plurality of rods parallel with the barrel of the same and connected together by flexible joints; supports carried by said gun providing a universal motion for each of said rods; a miniature target carried by one of said rods; and means under the control of the trigger for recording the aim on said target, comprising a guide Way carried by the gun; a sliding rod in said guide way; and means for normally holding said rod in its retracted position,

substantially as described.

4. The combination with a gun having a trigger, of a plurality of flexible jointed rods; supports carried by the gun in which said rods. are mounted; another rod connected to one of said rods and to the target to be aimed at; a miniature target carried by another of said rods; a marking device supported by said gun; and connections between the said device and the trigger, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand 1n presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. BOLITHO.

Witnesses: H. BIRKBEQK,

F. L. RAND. 

